N fruit-driers



HENRY E. BIDWELL, OF SOUTH HAVEN, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN FRUIT-DRIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. E63,968, dated June 1,1875; application filed January 7, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. BIDWELL, of South Haven, in the county ofVan Buren and State of Michigan, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Fruit-Briers; and that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,making a part of this specification.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement in devices for dryingfruit; and consists in a fruit-drier having a furnace, drying-chamher,and intermediate fire-chamber, in which dryin g-ch amber are arrangedrevolving shelves or trays, that are kept in a vertical position, andcombined with a regulator between such chamber and the fire-chamber, andwith registers or valves in the lower and upper parts of the casing,whereby a circulation of heated air of any desired temperature ismaintained in said drying-chamber, substantially as hereinafterspecified.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation,partly in section Fig. 2, a cross-section taken in the line. a" ac, Fig.1.

bimilar letters of reference indicate like parts in both figures.

In order to successfully drive out the moisture from fruits or othersubstances it is desired to desiccate, it is found desirable to subjectthe substances to a uniform temperature of any given degree of heat,which shall thoroughly drive out the moisture from the substances, andthe air thus charged with the moisture driven off must be allowed toescape, so that the substances being dried may not be surrounded withthe moisture-charged air, but be surrounded with dry and hot air.

It is also desirable that the removal of the air charged with moisturemay be effected as rapidly as the moisture is given off, that thearticles to be dried should constantly pass from one stratum of heatedair to another, which n t only facilitates the drying process, for thereasons just named above, but it keeps the heated air in a state ofagitation, while it also facilitates the drying process, for obviousreasons.

To accomplish these desirable results, and

also to adapt my drier to the purposes of cooking, if necessary, Iconstruct it with a surrounding shell, A. Into the lower part of thisshell is constructed a fire-chamber, B, in which is placed an archedfurnace, 0, provided with an ordinary grate, u, and ash-pit I), andfiredoor cl. Through the shell A, on each side of the furnace (l, andopening into the fire-chambers, are registers e 6. Immediately above thefire-chamber B is a partition, f. This partition is perforated, and asliding plate, g, likewise perforated, is placed immediately above it.Above the partition f is adesiccating-chamber, D. This chamber may bedomed, or of any desirable shape. Passing through the chamber D, andthrough suitable bearings secured to the walls of the shell A, is ashaft, h. This shaft is provided with arms 1', crossing each other atright angles; and one end of the shaft h, which projects through thewall A, has affixed to it a gear-wheel, j, and secured to the outside ofthe wall A is a shaft, k, provided with-a worm, Z, which works into thegears of the wheel j. Each end of the arms 1? has fitted to it a stud,m. Fitting onto these studs m are metal frames E. These frames arefitted to the studs by slots, so that as the shaft his revolved theframes will maintain a perpendicularposition. The uprights of each ofsaid frames are provided with a series of projections, 0, on which restperforated plates F. The chamber D is provided with a door, r, and, atits top, with a door, 3.

My drying-machine being constructed substantially as above described,its operation is as follows: The fire having been kindled in the furnaceO, the heat given off is received into the chamberB, whence it ascends,through the perforations in the plate f, to the desiccating-chamber D,filling that chamber with a volume of heated air of any giventemperature, the temperature depending upon the material to be dried.This uniform temperature is maintained by regulating the admission ofcool outer air by means of the registers e, and the quantity or volumeof air within the desiceating-chamber I) is regulated by means of thesliding plate 9, which opens and closes, more or less, the apertures inthe partition f. The air being in this way heated and the temperaturemaintained, motion is imparted to the shaft h by a crank, t, or othersuitable device, which operates the shaft 70 and the worm l, causing theshaft h to rotate by means of the gear-wheelj, and as the shaft rotateswith the arms '5 thereon the frames E are carried around the interior ofthe desiccating-chamber. The fruit or other material to be dried isplaced on the perforated plates F, through which the heated air passes,so that the material placed thereon is exposed to the influences of theheated air on every side. As the arms 6 revolve, the frames E, with theperforated plates F thereon, maintain, under all circumstances, avertical position, keeping the fruit, &c., in place on the plates.

The frames E are provided with a series of projections, 0, so that anumber of plates, F, maybe placed thereon, and yet not offer anyobstacle to the free circulation of heated air around them and thefruit, &c.

The door 8 at the top of the chamber D may be opened more or less, toenable the air, after it has become charged with moisture from thefruit, &c., to pass out, and also to insure a free circulation of heatedair in the chamber. The current is also maintained by the revolution ofthe frame E through the heated air as the shaft h revolves.

If it is desired to cook the substances placed on the plates F, insteadof drying them, they may be placed in pans w, and covered over, whichwill preserve the moisture in the substances subjected to the heatedair, and therefore cook them without drying them.

The furnace G is provided with a flue, G,

with the ordinary damper a, which regulates the heat or burning of thefurnace.

The advantages of drying substances by means of a uniform temperature,which shall be maintained, are, that it is proved by experiment thatdifferent substances dry quicker and better at different temperatures.For instance, apples are best dried at a temperature of about 180Fahrenheit, while pears do better at 170, peaches at 160, and grapes at150.

I am aware that fruit-driers have been made with revolving trays, onwhich the material or substance to be dried is placed, and subjected toa regulated temperature; hence I do not claim this, broadly; but

Having now described the construction and operation of mydrying andcooking device, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-- In the herein-described fruit-drier, having the furnace O,drying-chamber D, and intermediate fire-chamber B, the revolving shelvesor trays, in combination with the regulator f g, registers e, and door8, whereby there is maintained a circulation of heated air of given temperature Within said drying-chamber, substantially as specified.

HENRY E. BIDWELL.

Witnesses:

O. J. MONROE, A. B. CHASE.

